


Coffee Beans and Silver Strings

by DefinitelyAlmostHuman



Series: Fictober 2020 [6]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M, Mutual Pining, Shopping Malls, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26938234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefinitelyAlmostHuman/pseuds/DefinitelyAlmostHuman
Summary: Barclay workes at Amnesty Coffee House inside Kepler Mall and Stern is another worker who comes in each morning for some coffee.
Relationships: Barclay/Agent Stern (The Adventure Zone), Dani/Aubrey Little
Series: Fictober 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954525
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. Your Amber Aroma

He was back. Barclay shouldn’t be surprised, after all, he did work in the very same mall that Amnesty Coffee House was settled in, but it still warmed his heart every time. It was a ice little treat in Barclay’s long day--seeing Joseph Stern out in the mall light. “Is that all?” Barclay asked as he plugged in Stern’s order--an americano--and went to grab the scone. He knew Stern’s order. Of course, he did. But every time, he pretended that he didn’t. 

Stern pulled out his wallet, not paying much attention to Barclay. “Yes, that’s everything.” 

“Alright, and would you like the scone warmed up?” 

“Yes, please.” Stern flashed a smile, and Barclay would have warmed up a thousand scones to see that again. Barclay knew it was just Stern being polite, but god, the sight was beautiful. 

Normally, Barclay knew better than to be crushing on one of the customers. He was all about professionalism--but Stern was different. He worked in the mall, for one, so he was practically a coworker--by extension. Was that better? 

No, that probably made it worse. 

But he couldn’t help himself. The two of them had this connection that Barclay couldn’t quite place, but it was there nonetheless. Like some supernatural force driving them together. It sounded stupid, Barclay was well aware of that, but it was the only way Barclay could possibly describe his feelings. 

Maybe it was the slight smile on Stern’s face each time they interacted, or the fact that Stern always--always--wore a suit to work, or maybe it was even the intense amber of his eyes as they locked with Barclay’s. 

“Americano for Joe!” Barclay called out, but Stern was already at the counter waiting. 

He absentmindedly stuck out his hand, fingertips brushing against Barclay’s for a moment. And time slowed to a stop. Barclay froze up, almost letting go of the coffee a little too fast, but keeping his composure enough to make sure Stern had a firm grip. He felt his face warm from the contact, sparks shooting though his arm, and to his heart. 

Barclay cleared his throat. “Hope it’s to your liking,” he squeaked out, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

“Always is, Barclay.” Stern winked and held up the coffee before taking a sip and turning around to walk back to wherever it was in the mall he worked. Barclay always assumed it was Men’s Warehouse or some suit store, given the suit Stern was always wearing. 

But that was beside the point, because Joseph Stern knew Barclay's name. 

Barclay’s knees just about gave out. 

A chuckle cut through Barclay’s ears from the other side of the little kitchen area. “That was impressive, even for you.” Aubrey, Barclay’s coworker, teased mercilessly. 

“Shut up, Aubrey.” Barclay blushed, turning his attention back to his other orders. Always more work to be done, unfortunately. As much as he wanted to spend all day staring at Stern as he walked away. 

Aubrey shrugged. “You can look, I’m not gonna judge.” 

Barclay turned beat red. “Hey! I’m not looking at anything.” 

Aubrey grinned. “But you want to. Isn’t that the point?” 

Barclay cleared his throat and rolled his eyes, desperately trying to regain his composure. “I’m not--I don’t--whatever!” 

Aubrey chuckled again as she took off her apron. “Well, I’m on break, so I’m going to go check out some of the other stores.”

“You can say you’re going to Hot Topic. It’s ok.” Barclay nudged her gently, watching as she became flustered, running a hand through her hair. 

“Where I’m going is besides the point!” Aubry crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, unhappy that she had been completely caught. 

“Yeah, tell that cute cashier girl to stop by here sometime so you don’t have to keep pretending to listen to My Chemical Imbalance.” 

“Romance. It’s My Chemical Romance.” 

“I know.” Barclay rubbed her hair gently, and was promptly scolded for messing up her good hair day. “Just go. Have fun with Dani.”

Aubrey huffed, but turned and exited the kitchenette area and slipped out of the store, in the direction of the Hot Topic. It may have been on the complete opposite side of the mall, but that didn’t stop Aubry from going there nearly every single day. 

Barclay chuckled to himself and got to work cleaning the countertops. 


	2. Laptop Stickers and Flirtatious Jitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barclay notices some interesting stickers on Stern's laptop

Stern was in on his day off. It was a rare sight to behold, but there he was, sitting in the ar left corner, typing away on his laptop. And Barclay couldn’t take his eyes off Stern. Not because of his pining--no, definitely not because of that--but because he had noticed something about Stern’s laptop. Something he couldn’t possibly ignore. 

There, clear as day, was an honest to got Bigfoot sticker on Stern’s laptop. One of those “I believe” ones. And not just Bigfoot--a bunch of other cryptids. Alien stickers, X-Files BS, Mothman, you name it. 

Stern was completely and totally obsessed with cryptids. 

Cryptids like Barclay. Like most of the people who worked and frequented the Amnesty Coffee House. Like Dani and Jake and so, so many others. 

Aubrey crossed her arms on the counter, staring at the laptop with a smirk. “Will you look at that? Looks like you got a fan, Barclay.” 

Barclay huffed and turned away from Aubrey, working on a couple of Americanos for no particular reason. “Not so loud. If he hears you--” 

“He’d be ecstatic! Imagine the look on his face.” Aubrey giggled. “I’m not going to say anything, so don’t give me that look. Obviously, I care just as much about the secret staying--well, secret.” She looked Barclay up and down and raised an eyebrow. “Am I right in assuming you’re about to take your lunch?” She pointed at the drinks Barclay held in his hands. 

Barclay shrugged, his cheeks warming slightly as he set down the drinks for a moment to free up his hands and take off his apron. “Can you hold down the fort?” 

Aubrey scoffed. “‘Can I hold down the fort?’ Of course, I can, you go get ‘im, tiger!” Aubrey gave Barclay a little pat on the back and sent him off. 

Yes, Barclay was still going to flirt with Stern. 

Was it a bad idea? Absolutely. Was he starting to get cold feet knowing Stern was into cryptozoology? One-thousand percent. But he liked Stern, and he figured if he could at least get to know the guy… well one of two things would happen: 1. He would start to lose interest, or 2. He would fall deeply, completely, and irreparably in love. Part of him hoped for the first option.

But there was always going to be a part that secretly hoped for the second. 

Barclay made it to Stern’s table and cleared his throat, holding out one of the drinks. “Uh, I noticed you were getting a little low, there. Care for a refill? On the house, of course.” 

Stern jumped a little at the sudden noise and looked up at Barclay. His face brightened, and he took the coffee gratefully. “Yes. Thank you, Barclay, I was just thinking about ordering another.” He sipped the coffee and smiled. “Are you on break,” he asked, motioning to Barclay’s lack of an apron. 

Barclay nodded. “Oh, yeah, just started. Are you… I mean... is that seat taken?” Barclay motioned to the seat across from Stern. 

Stern shook his head and set his coffee down, typing something on his laptop before closing it. “Nope, go ahead and sit! It would be nice to have some company. That’s why I came here, after all.” 

Barclay raised an eyebrow as he sat down in the seat. “You came here… for the company?” 

Stern shrugged. “Yeah, in a sense. I had some writing to do, and I didn’t want to be alone in my apartment, so I came here for some sense of… I don’t know, comradery?” 

“Comradery?” Barclay repeated, a smirk pulling on the corner of his lips. 

“Ok, wrong word,” Stern said with a laugh. “Really, it’s just nice to have the ambient background noise of people walking through the mall having little conversations. Makes you feel less alone.” 

Barclay sipped at his coffee. “I suppose that is true. What were you writing? Did I interrupt?” 

“Oh, no, not at all. It was just this little blog post I’m working on.” Stern averted his eyes, suddenly tensing up. 

Barclay weighed his options. On the one hand, it seemed like Stern was embarrassed. On the other, he had all those damn stickers on his laptop. It was pretty easy to guess what his blog was about. Still, Barclay decided to ask anyway, playing the fool. “Oh, you have a blog? That's cool.” 

Stern perked up slightly. “Uh, yeah, I do. I post weekly. It’s just a hobby of mine, and I have a small following, but it’s something to do.” 

“What’s it about?” Again, Barclay was fairly certain he already knew. He looked at the stickers. “Got anything to do with those fancy stickers on that laptop of yours?” 

Stern looked down at the stickers and back up at Barclay, smiling sheepishly. “Oh, you noticed those, huh?” 

“Kind of hard not to.” 

“Are you a believer, then?” 

Barclay suppressed a laugh. Kind of hard not to believe when the proof was sitting right there, hidden only by a hemp bracelet. He shrugged instead. “I can’t say I know a whole lot about that kind of stuff.” He wasn’t the biggest fan of lying, but it wasn’t like he was going to be like ‘actually, Bigfoot is right here congratulations.’ 

Stern nodded. “I see. Well, it’s kind of an interest of mine, if you can’t tell.” 

“What got you into this sort of stuff?” Barclay’s curiosity bubbled to the surface. 

“Well, it was a lot of things. But mainly, I’m just interested in the things we can’t explain. The things that go bump in the night and leave giant footprints in the woods. The things that defy science as we know it.” 

“Have you ever seen anything like that?” 

“I have. Once. No one believes me, though.” 

Barclay smiled, crossing his arms on the table. “Well, maybe we should change that.” 


	3. The Gaps In Our Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barclay and Stern really hit it off, phone numbers are thrown about, and Barclay decides to visit where Stern works

Barclay listened to Stern. Oh, boy, did he listen. He listened for literally his entire lunch break, and then he listened while there were no customers in the shop. But never once did he tire. It was a little strange, listening to Stern’s wild outlandish theories on cryptids and why they stay hidden--but it was almost comforting knowing that people were so far off. If people still thought Bigfoot lived in the woods of California, Barclay was doing a pretty damn good job not being as reckless and stupid as he was in his youth. 

After a while, Stern got embarrassed and started tripping over his words as he stumbled to a halt, realizing that Barclay hadn’t said a thing the whole time--and Barclay found the gesture rather adorable. “Sorry, once I start I really can’t stop…” Stern looked down bashfully, his cheeks growing pink. 

Barclay laughed, but it wasn’t directed at Stern, it was awkward and a little forced, trying to make Stern feel a little more comfortable. “Don’t worry about it. I think it’s pretty cool that you have something you’re so passionate about. The only thing I’m passionate about is coffee,” he joked lightly, a shy smile on his face. 

Stern folded his arms on the table and leaned forward, finding an opportunity to change the subject. He was sitting at the table nearest to the cash register, so he could continue to talk to Barclay when there was the opportunity to do so. It was nearing closing, and Barclay was wiping down the countertops with Aubrey. “Really? Just coffee? There’s gotta be something else.” 

Barclay shrugged. “I mean, I guess I really like cooking, but-” 

“Cooking? That’s awesome! Do you want to be a cook?” 

Barclay laughed slightly. ‘I mean, I kind of am. I make some of the pastries and things we sell here. It’s really just a hobby, though.” 

“Just a hobby? You don’t want to be a cook?” 

Barclay shook his head. “Not really. I like the job I have here.” It’s comfortable, like a safe space, but Barclay didn’t add that. It would be too hard to explain why he didn’t want to work somewhere else, where his bracelet could get damaged or break and his secret would be blasted to all his coworkers. It was nicer to work in a place where people already knew. 

Stern raised an eyebrow. “You don’t dream of working somewhere, I don’t know, not the mall?” Stern leaned back in his chair, fidgeting idly with the strings of his hoodie, and Barclay realized he had never really seen Stern in casual clothing before. He always wore a nicely pressed button-up and slacks, with his hair perfectly gelled. But today, he was wearing a simple grey hoodie and jeans. It was nice to see him more relaxed. Based on Stern’s usual attire, Barclay assumed he worked at somewhere fancy, like the Men’s Warehouse on the east end of the mall. 

And it was then that Barclay realized he didn’t really know where Stern worked. It had never really come up in conversation, and Barclay never asked. Barclay bit his lip and looked away. “Not really. I like it here. And working for Mama is great.” 

Stern blinked several times. “You call your boss Mama?” 

“Yeah, it’s kind of what everyone calls her.” 

“Oh. Ok…” Stern’s face twisted in confusion, and he absolutely had no idea what to say to that. 

Barclay paused in wiping down the counters and leaned over the edge. “Where do you work? Do you like it there?”

“Oh, I’m a manager at a clothing store on the east side of the mall,” Stern said cryptically, but Barclay was just happy that he was correct. Those Men’s Warehouse people were always overdressed--and also incredibly pretentious, not like Stern, but Barclay still got the sense that Stern would fit in with that crowd. Stern looked at his watch. ‘Speaking of work, I have it tomorrow. And I should probably get out of your hair-” 

“Can I steal my coworker for a moment?” Aubrey cut Stern off, grabbing Barclay’s arm from behind and pulling it close. Barclay looked at Aubrey in surprise, but all she did was smile in response. 

Stern blinked in surprise. “Oh, uh, yeah, sure. I’ll just… wait to say my goodbyes?” 

“Yeah, perfect, do that.” Aubrey pulled Barclay away and began whispering to him. “You have to get his phone number! This is your chance!” 

“What? No! I don’t want to ambush him,” Barclay whispered back in a rough tone. 

“Do I have to do everything around here? Barclay! You’ve been pining for this man for _months_. If you don’t get his number, I will, don’t test me.” Aubrey gestured to Stern, which made it so obvious what they were whispering about. Barclay felt his cheeks warm as Stern looked up from his bag and the two made eye contact before quickly looking away. 

“Ok, ok, alright, I’ll do it. I’ll ask.” Barclay gently pushed Aubrey away, who was grinning profusely. 

“Good boy. I’m going to go to the back for… I don’t know, coffee beans. Good luck!” Aubrey winked and disappeared to the back of the store. 

Barclay took a deep breath and turned his attention back to Stern. “Sorry about that. Uh… it was about tomorrow’s menu…?” 

“You had to whisper about the menu?” 

“It’s very secret. So, uh, listen, I’d really like to hear more about your blog sometime. Is there…” Barclay cleared his throat “...is there somewhere I can contact you, or?” 

There was a twinkle in Stern’s eyes, and his lips parted into a smile. “Are you asking for my phone number?” 

Barclay shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about it. “I suppose I am.” 

“Well, then, it’s your lucky day.” 

Barclay and Stern messaged for the rest of the night after that. Literally, Barclay was glued to his phone. Aubrey teased him mercilessly for it, but Barclay didn’t mind. He felt like his useless flirting was actually getting him somewhere--like maybe he really did deserve to be in a happy, healthy relationship. Even Bigfoot can love, right?

The next morning quickly arrived, and Barclay got to work bright and early to serve Stern his coffee--er, serve coffee to all his customers, who he definitely cared about equally. But at his lunch break, he decided to do something a little out of his comfort zone. 

He decided to go find Stern at work. 

Normally, he wouldn’t be so awkwardly aggressive. He didn’t want to scare Stern off. But the two were really hitting it off, and he wanted to maybe ask Stern to get something other than coffee with him. Like a date. But he didn’t want to do that over the phone. 

So, Men’s Warehouse. He took a deep breath as he stood outside, psyching himself up before going in. This was ok. The worst Stern could say was no, right? And if he said no, Barclay would just leave it alone. It wasn’t like he was a creep or something, right? Barclay took one more deep breath for good measure and stepped inside the store. 

One quick sweep around showed no Stern. So Barclay walked around the store. No Stern. Several other people tried to help him, but he refused. Until he realized that this was a lost cause, and maybe Stern was in the back or something, so he stopped someone. “Hi, um, I’m looking for a Joseph Stern, I think he works here?” 

The employee gave Barclay a confused expression and looked him up and now. “Um, no one like that works here, sorry.” And with that, the employee just walked away. 

Oh. 

Barclay had to collect himself before exiting the store, a million thoughts in his head, but only one was nagging and persistent. 

Why would Stern lie about where he worked?


	4. Gaps in Judgment are Whimsical and Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barclay asks Stern an important question

Barclay couldn't stop thinking about Joseph Stern. Namely his failure to ask Stern out. Because Stern wasn't at the Men's Warehouse, where he almost certainly worked. Thinking about it, though, it wasn't as though Stern had actually given Barclay a location. Barclay had just assumed based on Stern's dress, his general demeanor, and the overall location Stern gave for his place of business. Was something else going on? Was Stern not an employee in the mall at all? But why would Stern lie? 

Barclay couldn't wrap his brain around any of it. Maybe he had the wrong store. Was there a different clothing store on the east side of the mall? It had been a while since Barclay had been to that side, as Amnesty Coffee House was on the west side. He didn't really know what stores were there anymore. Maybe he should give Stern the benefit of the doubt. After all, it was just as likely that Barclay simply had the wrong store. 

Barclay served yet another coffee to get another customer with less than a smile on his face. He couldn't help it. He was consumed with thoughts of Stern. 

Aubrey nudged his shoulder. "You ok there, big guy? You don't seem all that into the work today," she noted. 

Barclay smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry, I--um--I'm a little distracted, I guess." 

Aubrey hummed. "Hmm, distracted by that man of yours?" She winked, and Barclay flushed. 

"He's not... he's not mine. We've just been texting. I don't really know him all that well yet." 

"Oh, I bet you'd like to--" 

"Aubrey!" 

"Sorry, sorry." Aubrey grinned, and her eyes flashed to Barclay. "So, have you asked him out yet?" She idly began cleaning a random dish, trying to appear natural and not at all prying. 

Barclay sighed. "No. Kind of failed that mission." 

"You did? Too bad. I totally think he's into you. I mean, he comes in every day." The door opened, and Aubrey grinned. "Oh, speak of the devil." She winked at Barclay. "You got this." With that, she slipped into the back--before Barclay could even begin to protest. 

He wasn't sure he was ready to see Stern again. Everything was still so confusing... so new. How was he supposed to act? 

Stern must have made it up to the counter because he awkwardly cleared his throat and muttered, "uh, hey, Barclay." 

Barclay turned, forcing a smile despite how awkward he felt. Though judging by the look on Stern's face, Barclay was not alone in that general feeling of awkwardness. "Stern! One americano?" Fuck, he had forgotten his rule of not revealing he remembered Stern's drink order despite it being literally the simplest order he could think of. 

Stern's eyes lit up. "You remembered." 

Barclay shrugged, his awkward smile softening into something more natural. "Well, it's not a difficult order. And you're a regular." He plugged it into the cash register and accepted Stern's payment. His heart pounded in his chest. This was his moment. He hadn't gotten the chance the other day, but Stern was in front of him now. 

This was his opportunity to ask Stern out. 

He cleared his throat, not making eye contact. "So, I tried to find you at work yesterday. It didn't go so well." 

Stern shifted on his feet. "Oh? Sorry about that, you might have caught me on a break. What did you need?" Curiosity glistened in Stern's eyes. 

On a break? But they said no one named Stern even worked there. 

No, no, benefit of the doubt. Barclay shouldn't assume stern was lying about his life just because that was the position Barclay found himself in. The world was full of secrets, but that didn't mean Stern was. 

Besides, Barclay was on a mission. 

Barclay took a sharp breath. "Well, I-"

The door to the cafe opened, and another customer walked in. Barclay huffed. Great. Perfect timing. "Uh, your drink will be right out. I just have to... you know, do my job." 

Stern chuckled. "Of course, I can wait." 

Barclay quickly served the next guest and got to making the coffee, heart still racing from the prospect of actually asking Stern out. He was a little worked up about it, and it was only getting worse by the second. And before he knew it, the americano was done, and he was face to face with Stern again. 

Stern who was smiling so gently. Stern who reached out for the coffee and let their fingers brush against each other without pulling away. Stern who let their eye contact linger just seconds too long. 

Stern took his coffee and sucked in a breath. "So, uh, you wanted to ask me something?" 

Barclay blinked, his attention torn away from Stern's perfect... everything. "Huh? Oh, right, yeah, um... I was just wondering... I guess I was thinking that maybe, you know, we should maybe do something together--outside of work and the mall and, well, coffee." 

Stern's eyes widened. "Oh." 

Barclay's heart sank. It felt like he had been shot. Oh. 

_ Oh.  _

That single syllable was enough to make Barclay want to literally die. Maybe he was dead. Deceased. Killed by a single word uttered by his crush. His crush who obviously did not feel the same way about him. "I mean, we don't have to, I just thought--I mean, we've been talking, and I guess I thought we were hitting it off--I mean as friends and--" 

"No, no, sorry, I--we were--are. I was just... I was surprised because I came here to ask you the same thing." Stern ran his finger around the coffee lid, looking up at Barclay with a bashful expression. 

Barclay let out a breath of relief, and life returned to his body all at once. Jesus Christ, that was a roller coaster of emotion he had just been on. "Oh." 

"Yeah, oh," stern laughed, and Barclay couldn't help but join in. 

"So, I guess that means that's... a yes?" Barclay bit his lip a little. 

Stern continued to chuckle softly and nodded his head. "I never wanted anything else," he said with a coy expression. "I already have your number, so... I guess I will call you?" 

"Oh, yeah, definitely just... give me a call. We'll work out the details later in the week." Barclay blinked one too many times, but he was flustered and couldn't stop it. Did that really just happen. 

"Alright. Sounds good." Stern turned and began to walk away, turning to give Barclay a little smile over his shoulder. "I'll talk to you soon, Barclay." He gave a little wave and was on his way.

Barclay lifted his hand and gave a weak half-wave in response. "Yeah. Later." 

Holy shit. 

That really just happened.


	5. The Gap Between us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barclay and Stern have their date

Friday. 8 o’clock. Regal theater. Barclay was a half an hour early, completely beside himself with nerves. He was wearing his signature look--blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a red plaid jacket topped off with a little beanie because it was a frigid night in late November. Stern has never seen Barclay outside of his apron--and while some little anxious voice in the back of Barclay’s head told him Stern was either going to not recognize him, or ditch him, he knew it was just the nerves talking. 

Barclay stared down at the tickets in his hands--which he had already purchased because they decided previously that they would be watching that new Godzilla movie, at Stern’s request. Guess it wasn’t just cryptids he was into. Barclay didn’t really get it--he didn’t understand the fascination humans had with all that junk. When it came down to it, and they were really faced with the things they depict in those movies, fear was the response every time, followed by disgust, anger, and finally, violence. Barclay had seen it enough times to know that was true. 

Stern came running up to him, 20 minutes ahead of schedule, waving enthusiastically. “Barclay! Hey! You made it! Should we buy the tickets?” Stern was wearing a very obvious Godzilla t-shirt and some black jeans, with a lined denim jacket over and a light grey scarf.

Barclay did his best to not blush. It was almost cute--the t-shirt, that it. And Stern. Definitely Stern. He held up the tickets. “Already done. I wanted to get them early. Assigned seating and all.”

Stern looked from the tickets back up to Barclay. “You didn’t have to do that! I could have paid!” His bottom lip pouted slightly, and his nose was ever so slightly pink from the cold. 

Barclay chuckled. “It’s fine, I wanted to. Should we get some popcorn?” He pointed to the theater and began walking toward the doors. 

Stern huffed. “Fine, but I’m buying the food and drinks!” 

Barclay laughed and adjusted his beanie. “Ok, ok. Deal.” 

The pair entered the theater and went straight for concessions to get a large popcorn and some drinks for each of them. Stern got a soda, where Barclay opted for some iced tea, and they were off. It didn’t take long for them to find their seats and settle in. They were early, and the commercials hadn’t even started yet, so Stern struck up a conversation. 

“Have you ever seen a Godzilla movie, Barclay?” He sipped at his drink. 

Barclay shook his head. “No, it’s not really my thing, but give me a minute--or an hour--of a good film and you can usually get me on board.”

Stern’s face twisted in confusion. “If it’s not your thing, why agree to the movie?” 

Barclay shrugged. “It may not be my thing, but it is yours. And you were clearly excited about it. Besides, I want to get to know you better.” 

Stern turned to face Barclay, gently placing his hand on top of Barclay’s. Barclay’s heart jumped in surprise, and maybe he did too, but then Stern was looking deep into his eyes and he couldn’t do anything but sit there and look back. “I want to get to know you too, Barclay.” 

Barclay smiled awkwardly, a desperate attempt to hide the amount he was currently freaking the fuck out. “Well, here’s the first thing you’ll learn tonight: I’m not that big into monster films, but I do enjoy watching them from a film standpoint.” 

“We can see a different movie.” 

“Nope, we’re already here, and you want to see this one.” 

“But-” 

“Nope!”

“Barclay!”

“Joseph.” Barclay stiffened instantly. That, he realized, was the first time he had ever called Stern anything other than, well, Stern. He blushed and looked away, clearing his throat. “Like I said, this movie is fine. I’m curious to see what draws people to it so much.” 

Stern eyes Barclay slightly, not looking bothered by the fact that Barclay used his first name. He leaned back in his chair. “You can call me Joe if you want.” 

A smile played on Barclay’s lips, and he made brief eye contact with Stern. “Joe? Alright then. Joe, it is.” 

The theater lights dimmed, and the commercials began. Barclay settled in for an interesting night. 

Stern was at the edge of his seat the whole movie, staring at the screen with awe. Apparently, it was good. Or Stern seemed to think so. They were walking idly around the mall, Barclay listening to Stern rant about everything the movie did right--and everything they got wrong. 

“I just wish there was more flair, overall, I mean, this is Godzilla!” Stern threw his hands in the air dramatically, and Barclay chuckled. “What?” Stern lowered his arms a little, embarrassed. 

“Nothing, nothing, I just think it’s cute that you’re so into this.” Barclay turned bright, bright red. “I mean, nice! It’s  _ nice _ that you’re so into this.”

Stern blinked a couple of times, then grinned evilly. “Barclay! Do you think I’m  _ cute _ ?” 

Barclay hid his head with his hands. “Oh, god, I’m never going to live that down.” 

Stern nudged him gently, his laughter filling the mall hallway. “You don’t have to.” He shrugged, his fingers brushing against Barclay’s hand. “Besides, I think you’re pretty cute yourself.” 

Barclay’s breath caught in his throat as their hands intertwined. 

Cute. 

Joseph Stern just called  _ him  _ cute. 

Barclay never wanted that moment to end. 


End file.
